I have heard many similes and metaphors for unemployment, interviews and the job search in general. Interviews are like dates or job searching after a layoff is like dating after divorce. I agree with these sentiments wholeheartedly and wanted to share my own.
For me, the job hunt is like surfing.
Sometimes the ocean is calm, maybe even a little boring. You’re looking around for opportunities (waves to ride) but they are few and far between. You aren’t getting any call backs or interviews, and you look out into this endless, flat sea and begin to feel frustrated, impatient and maybe a little hopeless.
Then the waves start rolling in. They start small, the job postings you find or leads you get, and they grow into the surf-worthy interviews. For me at least, the waves roll in quickly and all together. I’ll go a week without hearing anything positive and suddenly in one day I have 3 new job leads.
Of course, so far, I haven’t been able to stay up on a wave. I’ve had the interviews, gotten up on my feet, felt the excitement and thrill… but the wave always takes an unexpected turn and I fall off the board. Of course then I’m stuck underwater for a while, feeling as though I might drown, thinking that wave was my last chance. I swear I’ll never get back on the board because the aftermath is just too difficult to deal with. I decide I’ll just sit up on the beach and watch everyone else succeed.
Eventually though, I always surface. Usually the ocean is calm and I have time to take a deep breath a prepare for the next set to roll in. Then I do it all over again!
See? It’s like surfing!
As an afterthought, I should mention that I’m not a surfer. I have attempted… and I am in the picture above (taken last summer at Tamarindo Beach in Costa Rica). However, I was terrible and I never got up on my feet at all. I know they say the bigger boards are easier, but the 10 foot board I was trying to handle nearly killed me. I even had a nice big bruise on my arm (just in time to be a bridesmaid at the wedding I was there for!) So, while I can make the comparison, the truth is I’ve never gotten up. Still, I rode a wave while laying on my stomach and that was fun and I’ve fell off my boogie board before and gotten caught underwater… so I know what I’m talking about 
Plus, I think my lack of success just makes the comparison more truthful. Surfing is hard and not everyone is successful, especially not on their first try. The job seach is also hard and you have to be dedicated to keep on trying before you find success.
What is your favorite unemployment metaphor?
Wow, you’ve captured the feeling perfectly. Although I’m not an avid surfer, I have to agree with your trials and tribulations– I’ve been there for a few months now. My metaphor would have to be fishing. Some days you get some bites, other days nothing. Sometimes you have really good bait, other times you can hook yourself with a lure. It’s all part of the adventure (as frustrating as it can be), I suppose.
Ooh … another good metaphor — and one I hadn’t even thought of!
And thanks for linking to my blog post! I appreciate it.
Never heard this analogy, but I think you’ve captured the job search experience perfectly!
You could even preface it with catching a great wave with your previous job where you thought you got the hang of surfing with the best of them, and then with a layoff comes WIPE-OUT.